


Eye of the Storm

by shikamarubase



Category: One Piece
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Magic, Nami keeps these boys grounded. RESPECT., Zine piece, just another crazy adventure with the Strawhats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:34:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26043553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shikamarubase/pseuds/shikamarubase
Summary: On their way to the Grand Line, the Strawhats wash up on an island with magical borders during a storm. Perfect timing, because Luffy is itching to go on another adventure![My piece for the SJ Big Three zine]
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy & Nami & Roronoa Zoro & Usopp & Vinsmoke Sanji
Kudos: 2





	Eye of the Storm

The scorching sun beat down on Nami’s back that typical afternoon. 

From her place behind the steering wheel, she easily wiped away sweat from her temple as she maintained a firm grip on the wheel. Her eyes, however, were fixed on the skies beyond the horizon. She analyzed the slightest movements in the clouds, mentally kept track of the direction of the breeze blowing past her orange hair, and occasionally checked the air pressure and temperature in the area. 

Such was the job of a navigator. And to be the navigator of the Strawhat Pirates meant she had to be extra careful and competent, since none of her current crew members was remotely adept in navigation. 

Nami lowered her eyes towards the deck and immediately spotted Luffy sitting on top of Merry’s head. His back was turned towards her, but she could picture the wide grin on his face as he hummed his favorite tune with eyes closed. 

Not far from him was Usopp, who covered the middle of the deck with various tools and supplies, absorbed in the cylinders that contained his experiments. He carefully shook one, and Nami saw liquid slosh around from the reflection of his goggles. 

Unbeknownst to everyone around him, Zoro snored in the corner in his usual sleeping posture. He still had one hand on his sheathed swords, already prepared to strike anyone foolish enough to pull off an ambush. 

Nami could not find Sanji in her line of vision, but he was likely cooking up a storm in the kitchen or tending to her tangerine garden like she had asked him to. 

There was no village to save from cruel pirates, no marines to run away from, and no fishmen that would destroy their ship from down under. Considering their recent run-ins with danger, it was an unusually peaceful day for the Strawhat Pirates. 

“Heeey, Nami.” She blinked at Luffy, who called out to her in her moment of distraction. “Are we close to the next island yet? We’ve been sailing for days!” 

With his face scrunched up, Nami could practically hear the impatience dripping from his voice. Though she’d known him for only a short period, it was clear that her captain did not like to sit still. 

“If you thought we would be exploring new islands every other day, then you’re more naive than I thought!” 

Luffy threw his hands up as he sucked in a breath and yelled, “I don’t care! I just want adventure!” 

Nami sighed. Once he got like this, it was difficult to calm him back down. While she racked her brain for a contingency plan, her eyes wandered around the ship for something she could use to distract him. Zoro was still mercifully asleep, completely unaware of his captain’s outburst. Usopp continued to mess around with his experiments. Unlike Zoro, he knew what was happening but wisely chose to ignore it. 

“Luffy, calm down. Screaming isn’t gonna get us to an island any quicker—“ Just as the words left her mouth, the door to the kitchen opened. Sanji calmly sauntered out, the usual cigarette between his teeth, carrying a large tray of food on the palm of his hand. 

“What’s with all the commotion? None of you better be bothering my beautiful Nami or else I’ll feed you to the fishes.” 

Luffy sniffed the air before his eyes zeroed in on the huge pile of juicy meat decorating Sanji’s tray. 

Adventure forgotten, he ran over to the tall blonde like an animal hunting its prey and stretched his hands towards the silver platter. His mouth was already salivating when he snatched several pieces of meat on stick for himself. 

“Geez! Leave a few for the others,” Sanji sighed in resignation. Luffy appeared not to have heard him because he was happily stuffing his face. 

“Oi, lunch is served! Usopp, wake Marimo up before Luffy eats everything.” 

Usopp lifted his goggles, revealing an area around his eyes that was cleaner compared to the rest of his face. “That’s easier said than done. You know Zoro practically hibernates when he sleeps. Nothing can wake him up.” 

Sanji put the tray down on a nearby table and began stretching his legs. A smirk pulled up on the corner of his lips as he said, “Oh, this’ll definitely wake him.” 

Without warning, he gathered all his strength and drove a kick to Zoro’s stomach. The latter jolted awake and gritted his teeth in pain. 

“What the hell was that for, you stupid cook!” 

Sanji relished the rage painted on his face as he exhaled a tendril of smoke. “Be thankful I’m not letting you starve, Marimo.” 

A vein popped out of Zoro’s head, but he couldn’t do anything but click his tongue in retort. 

Sanji sauntered towards the end of the ship and looked out towards the vast ocean. He blew out another puff of smoke and watched as it immediately dispersed. “Isn’t the breeze stronger than usual?” He commented, making Nami’s ears perk up in attention. 

_ Wind? _

An alarmed gasp escaped Nami’s lips when she spun her head towards the sky. Dark clouds, which were absent a moment ago, were starting to gather from the Northern side of the ocean, and a quick check revealed that the air temperature and pressure were steadily dropping. Nami cursed under her breath. How could she not have noticed a storm approaching until it was right on top of them? 

“Get to your stations! A storm’s gonna hit us soon!” 

“WHAT?!” Came the simultaneous yell of her crewmates. 

Before they could break out in hysteria, Nami was already barking out orders from her place behind the wheel and changing the direction of their ship. Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji dashed around the deck to do what they could, managing not to run into each other thanks to their navigator's precise instructions. 

But even with all of them working frantically together, the Strawhat Pirates were not able to escape the eye of the storm before a powerful torrent came down upon them in buckets. The wind picked up, whipping at them intensely from all directions Nami felt like she’d be blown away. 

Merry teetered back and forth at an alarming pace, completely under the mercy of the brutal waves crashing against it. Seawater swarmed the deck and Nami witnessed her crewmates scamper around to avoid being thrown off the ship. Luffy, especially, was taking extra care in holding on to Merry’s head. 

Zoro was shouting, “We have to anchor the ship somewhere, or we’ll all drown!” 

“From where we are, there’s no island nearby—“

“But I see one over there!” Luffy cried out in glee, pointing towards the distance. 

_ What the— _

Nami squinted past the wind and rain hindering her line of sight and managed to make out the outline of what looked like an island. An island, for what it’s worth, which wasn’t supposed to be there. 

“There shouldn’t be anything over there!” She shrieked. 

“Who cares? We need to get out of this storm!” Zoro yelled back. He quickly moved his hand to adjust the whipstaff, but soon realized it wasn’t necessary. 

Because without any sort of compulsion, Merry gave a sudden lurch, causing all of them to lose footing for a split second, and placed them into a direct path towards the island. Nami hung on for dear life, nails digging deep into her skin as she tried to comprehend the 360 degree turn of events. 

“What the hell’s happening?!” Sanji voiced out their concern, stretching his neck as far as it can go so that he could be heard over the rumbling thunder and rain. “Merry’s moving by itself!” 

_ No _ . Nami’s stomach dropped from the thought.  _ More like it’s being forcibly pulled towards the island by some mysterious force. _

But there wasn’t anything she or her crew could do but wait around and see where it would take them. 

As the torrent continued to rain down on them, the Strawhat Crew found themselves washed up on dry land. 

————

Nami realized two things when they reached the shore. 

One, it was no longer raining. Her damp hair stuck to her face as she looked around with wide eyes. 

Second, the storm was still coming down hard outside the vicinity of the island, yet it was dry where they were, as if there was an invisible force field shielding them from the rain. 

Luffy leapt down the moment Merry anchored on shore. While the rest of his crewmates were still confused by the island’s strange weather barrier, Luffy surveyed the land with dancing eyes. He barely registered the crunching stones littered underneath his feet as his eyes zoomed around the mountainous area leading up to a dense forest. 

His rubberized jaw dropped to the ground. 

It looked like a normal forest, except it was encapsulated in an ethereal glow unlike anything he’d ever seen before. 

“Hey, guys, let’s check out the forest. It’s so cool!” 

He started to run towards it, but his foot caught on to something and he landed hard on his face. 

“Luffy!” 

Nami and the rest ran over to his side and did a double take. Instead of what they thought to be a huge slab of rock sticking out from the ground, Luffy had tripped over an extremely small person. The boy scratched his head, grunting in pain from his fall, and wore the most displeased expression on his face as he straightened up. 

“Watch where you’re going, beanpole!” He snarled up at Luffy, who sat cross-legged and stared back at him with wide eyes. 

“Huh? A talking garden gnome?” He tilted his head in wonder. 

“I’m a dwarf, you fool!” The small boy waved a fist, but for all his efforts to look intimidating, Luffy merely bent down to his eye level and grinned widely. 

“Aww, how cute!” Nami gushed. “A bit vulgar for your age though.” 

The dwarf threw a glare in her direction. “Call me cute again and I’ll make you wish you never existed.” 

Usopp scoffed and raised his chin proudly. “You don’t scare us. Come at me and I’ll teach you a thing or two with my slingshot!” 

“How dare you threaten my beautiful Nami, you shit troll. I’ll kick some manners into you,” Sanji yelled menacingly in her defense, crushing a pack of his cigarettes with his fist. 

“I told you I’m a dwarf, you imbecile!” 

“Dwarves exist! That’s so cool!” Oblivious to the smaller boy’s irritation, Luffy continued to ogle at him like he was the most fascinating creature he’d ever encountered. 

“So,” Zoro easily lifted him up, while the dwarf struggled against his hold. “The question is where this little guy came from.” 

He was quickly answered by a feminine yell that drifted over to them. “Kota! I told you not to run off!” 

“Che, the old hag’s here.” Kota crossed his arms and suddenly looked sullen as an equally small but older female dwarf hurried over to them. 

Zoro released Kota, and the latter pouted and kicked a few rocks as the older woman fussed over him. She was the mirror image of her son, except her long ebony hair swayed past her waist while Kota’s was pulled up into a tight bun. 

With her hand tightly clasped in his, she turned toward the crew and said, “You lot are pirates, aren’t you? Welcome. My name is Shizuka, and I’m Kota’s mother. Come with me, and I’ll introduce you to our chief.” 

None of them had the chance to protest. Shizuka turned her back and walked off with Kota reluctantly in tow. Luffy enthusiastically followed after them, which left the rest of them no choice but to follow their captain. Nami quietly crept towards the front to reach Shizuka. 

“Excuse me, can I ask what this place is? Why aren’t we affected by the storm over here? 

“This island is home to the dwarves and protected by the enchantments of our ancestors. Nothing from the outside world can reach us here. The island is only visible during rainstorms and for pirates heading towards the Grand Line.” 

“Wait...are you saying there’s magic at work here?” Nami gaped at Shizuka, who wore a mask of absolute calm as she answered her. 

“Dwarves have always been magical beings, but our powers have been repeatedly overshadowed by what you humans call devil fruits. 

“If that’s so, then why is there a need for you to be hidden?” 

“Long ago, hunters would plunder the island, abuse our magic, and execute anyone who opposed them. The ones that saved us from extinction were pirates.” 

_ Pirates? That’s unusual. _ When Nami tilted her head, she caught sight of Kota dragging his feet over the ground. His complexion was much paler than before and he was biting his lips, looking anxious. 

Before long, they had arrived at a large clearing with a large number of dwarves bustling around and a line of small cottages and tents filled the area. Shizuka quickly walked towards an older man with whitening hair and a stern face. 

“Chief, we have guests.” 

Unlike with Kota, a chill ran down Nami’s spine when the chief laid eyes on them. She couldn’t put a finger to the cause, but a powerful aura emanated from the older man despite his underwhelming size. 

“Pirates, are you? Welcome to our island. You lot came at a good time. Tonight is the initiation rites of our younglings.” 

“Initiation rites?” 

“It is a coming of age ceremony to recognize that a child has reached adulthood and is eligible to train in the arts. Kota is one of our participants this year,” Shizuka explained matter-of-factly.

_ That explains why Kota seems so nervous.  _

“Once the younglings master magic they will take over as the protectors of this island. There aren’t many of us left, you see…” The Chief’s eyes glazed over as he spoke, as though his mind was not completely with them anymore. 

“I and some of my brethren have been protecting this island for many years.” They strolled around the albeit small village until they came across a lake with crystal clear water. 

“Why’re you telling us all this? Pirates aren’t exactly good people.” Sanji lit up another cigarette as he spoke. 

“A certain group of pirates saved us from being completely wiped out. From then on, we swore to treat your people well, unless you display open hostility.” 

“Heh. What happens if we  _ do _ show hostility?” Zoro questioned with a raised brow. Unlike Usopp who was trembling behind him, he seemed to be having a good time during this small excursion.

“You wouldn’t want to know.” 

Nami gulped. Her crewmates were strong, but she’s uncertain they would be able to put a scratch on magic users. She made a mental note not to steal from these dwarves no matter how much priceless treasure they own. 

Luffy, however, was as fearless as ever when he cheekily interjected, “Well, don’t worry. We won’t attack you. I swear it as the future Pirate King!” 

Shizuka and the Chief froze in their tracks and regarded Luffy with curious eyes. “Did you say Pirate King?”

“Yeah! That’s my goal! You heard of it, mister?” 

He nodded. “In fact, our savior had the exact same dream,” he whispered. “We heard he was able to achieve it before passing away. His name was Gol D. Roger.” 

—————

After Kota’s initiation rites, The Strawhat Pirates gathered around the center of the clearing, along with the rest of the tribe, for a bonfire. When Luffy heard that the very pirate who started the Pirate Age was a hero to the dwarves, he was more hyperactive than ever. And ever since Kota completed his rites, Luffy had stuck to him like glue, much to the younger boy’s chagrin. 

“Hey, hey. So you’re a magician now, right? Fight me! I wanna see which one of us is stronger!” Luffy chased after Kota with a big smile. 

Kota looked at the rubber man as if he was crazy. “I can’t call myself a magician until I’ve mastered the techniques and completed the trials set out for me. And I wouldn’t fight you! Magic users are supposed to drive away violence, not be a part of it.” For a child so much younger than Luffy, he was calm and level-headed, so unlike the first impression he gave just a few hours ago. 

Luffy seemed like he did not take the rejection well, because his face immediately crumpled. “That sucks! What sorta rule is that!? At this rate, I’ll never get to fight a magician! And I can’t invite you to join our crew either. This really sucks!” 

Kota blinked up at him in surprise. “You want me to join you?” 

“Of course! It’d be awesome to have a magic user on board!” 

Kota’s face contorted into an expression that looked like he was trying hard not to smile. He turned away from Luffy, bashfully rubbing his head, and said, “I can’t come with you on your adventure, but I can still be your friend.” 

He nervously raised his eyes to meet Luffy’s, but the latter was already flashing a beaming smile. “What’re you talking about?! We’re already friends!” 

From a short distance away, Nami was yet again impressed by Luffy’s power to attract anyone to his side. He was a meat-loving idiot, whose only talent was throwing punches, but he carried a certain charisma that few possessed; it gave people a strong desire to follow him in his path to becoming Pirate King. 

As dusk turned to evening and the bonfire was set ablaze, Nami watched her crew—Usopp sharing tales of the Brave Warrior of the Sea, Zoro and Sanji getting into another fight, Luffy forming another bond—and she smiled. 

That’s how another day with the Strawhats came to an end. And tomorrow, they’ll set sail for the Grand Line once more. 

**Author's Note:**

> One Piece is my favorite series, and it is a delight to finally contribute something to this wonderful fandom. I really hope I did the Strawhats justice. Comments and reviews are much appreciated! Thank you so much for reading <3


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